Full Text of HB0908 099th General Assembly
HB0908 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016 HB0908 Introduced , by Rep. Michael J. Madigan SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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220 ILCS 5/8-304 | from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-304 |
| Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning estimated billing practices.
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| | A BILL FOR |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning regulation.
| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
| 4 | | Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing | 5 | | Section 8-304 as follows:
| 6 | | (220 ILCS 5/8-304) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-304)
| 7 | | Sec. 8-304.
The
The Commission shall conduct a | 8 | | comprehensive study of the
estimated billing practices and | 9 | | policies of each major public utility
providing gas or electric | 10 | | service. The study shall include, but not be limited to: | 11 | | (a) an analysis of the extent to which estimated billing | 12 | | has occurred in
each of the past 10 years and the extent to | 13 | | which it currently occurs and is
expected to occur in the | 14 | | foreseeable future. Such analysis shall, to the
fullest extent | 15 | | possible, include an examination of the circumstances in
which | 16 | | estimated billing most frequently occurs, by time of year,
| 17 | | geographical location, and customer class or group. Such | 18 | | analysis shall
also specifically identify the frequency of | 19 | | consecutively estimated bills;
| 20 | | (b) an analysis of the reasons for estimated billing in | 21 | | general, the
reasons for any change over time in the frequency | 22 | | of estimated billing, and
the reason for any higher than | 23 | | average frequency of estimated billing
during certain times of |
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| 1 | | year, in certain geographical areas, or for
particular customer | 2 | | classes or groups;
| 3 | | (c) an analysis of the method used to establish the amount | 4 | | of an
estimated bill and the extent to which such method | 5 | | reflects changes in
usage due to weather and customer | 6 | | conservation efforts;
| 7 | | (d) an analysis of the extent to which the method used to | 8 | | establish the
amount of an estimated bill accurately | 9 | | approximates actual usage and the
extent to which estimated | 10 | | bills differ from actual usage and bills;
| 11 | | (e) an analysis of the extent to which the frequency of | 12 | | estimated
billing and any inaccuracies resulting from the | 13 | | method of establishing the
amount of an estimated bill, | 14 | | including make-up billing, contribute to
customers' | 15 | | unwillingness or inability to pay utility bills and the | 16 | | utility's
inability to collect actual amounts due and owing;
| 17 | | (f) identification of any and all means currently used to | 18 | | minimize the
frequency of estimated bills and any inaccuracies | 19 | | in estimation methods,
and a critical assessment of the | 20 | | adequacy and effectiveness of such means;
| 21 | | (g) identification of any incentives which exist and which | 22 | | tend to
encourage or discourage the use of estimated billing by | 23 | | utilities;
| 24 | | (h) identification and critical assessment of all | 25 | | alternative incentives
and means by which the frequency of | 26 | | estimated billing and the inaccuracies
of estimation
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| 1 | | procedures can be minimized, and estimation procedures | 2 | | improved, giving
consideration to the cost to the utilities, | 3 | | including, but not limited to,
| 4 | | (i) requiring the use of outside meters;
| 5 | | (ii) requiring utilities to read meters monthly;
| 6 | | (iii) requiring utilities to pay interest on the difference | 7 | | between an
estimated bill and the actual amount due, where the | 8 | | customer pays the
estimated bill, and the estimated bill | 9 | | exceeds the actual amount due for
such period of time.
| 10 | | The completed study shall be subject to hearing and | 11 | | comment. Thereafter,
the Commission shall initiate rulemaking | 12 | | proceedings to promulgate such
rules as it believes reasonable | 13 | | and necessary to ensure the minimization of
the frequency of | 14 | | estimated billing and the increased accuracy of estimation
| 15 | | procedures. The study shall also be provided to the General | 16 | | Assembly
together with any specific recommendations for | 17 | | legislation which the
Commission believes necessary or | 18 | | beneficial.
| 19 | | (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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